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lol ok here's an update for ya... I've stalled on the gauntlets for the moment... I've got all that plastic already cut from the trash cans, so I'm going to try to work that into the shells this week. I've also got the low grade plastic for the detailing, so I'll be working on that later this week too (I Hope). My family is dragging me on yet another trip to disney this weekend, so I don't expect to get too much done, my wife and daughter are a lil weird about me taking my hobby "work" with me on "vacation." As for the why I have not made progress this week... well my mother gave my wife a sewing machine... I learned how to use it... by redoing my vest. I just need to attach velcro to the new vest and It'll be done. I'm also considering redoing my backplate into a segmented overlapping set to provide more flexibility. If I do... I'll use my old backplate to test it for durability against airsoft rounds just incase I decide to wear it one day that I go to play . As for pictures, I'll take a few sometime in the next day or two and get them up ASAP.

Here's a sketch I did just for the fun of it... It's my squad, Direcat Squad. The entire squad is based on people that are very close friends of mine, and everyone is specialized. Chris is the pilot, Jayce is our "acquisitions" guy, Snips is the martial arts expert, Lexi's our slicer, Fi's the Medic, I'm the leader/Forward Air Controller, and Shannyn is our squad psycho and explosives afficionado.

Okay, here's an update... since I know I haven't posted recently enough to avoid A'den and Adonian's wrath...lol. Okay, I've got the parts for my gaunts cut and shaped, just need to bond them and glass 'em. I've got my new vest made, plates attached and it looks okay, except... the shoulder plates stick out and don't roll with my shoulders, so... I'm trying to figure out how to solve this problem. Right now my vest is a grey vinyl "Jango" type with velcro side closures... I'm thinking the solution is to go with a cloth "Boba" type, but that'll be a lil while before I can adjust. The flight suit will be done in a few weeks, until then I have a pair of grey fatigues that used to belong to my dad back in the day when he was my age (and size) and just out of the KSP academy. My rifle is still a work in progress as is my sidearm, but... I do have my shemagh now! I found my blue/green/tan one that I used for OPFOR roleplaying for a local training ex back home a couple years ago. Now all I need to do is get a bucket, paint it, glass my gaunts and paint them, rig up my knee pads and groin plate and paint those, and get the rest of my webgear and weapons, then mine will finally be done... and I can start on Fi's! lol

Alas! I must report some sad news... due to some personal reasons, and the local weather... I was unable to complete my gaunts this weekend, and have no pics to post. We lost a close friend of the family about an hour ago after a week long battle in the ICU back home. His one wish was to be home in the mountains when he passed, they were going to send him back tomorrow morning... he didn't even make it home. I'll be working some this week tho.

I have gaunts! well... sort of... they're still awaiting some bondo-glass application and paint, but they're assembled, preped and ready to glass! Here are some progress pics, and yes they're being held together with duct tape... goofy I know, but it's the only way I could get the shell to hold it's shape, and It's actually a lot easier to position the other chunks that way. They're not the best, but they'll work for now. Still not sure if this is how my tri-shot will be situated in the long run.

Okay... yet another update! two in the same day I'm on a roll... I have encased my gaunts in bondo-glass... which once it cures will leave me with a pair of fiberglass gaunts, that will only need a lil TLC with a dremel and paint... then they'll be done. I did change the config of the tri-shot. It's now lower on the body of the gaunt, I relocated another portion of the original frame to above the tri-shot and enlarged the barrels by wrapping duct tape around the cylinders of the ink pen bodies that i used. I'll also be resketching my armor to include some concepts regarding the addition of a piece to the helmet inspired by Mereel.

Thanks! He he me too...lol seriously I cut all the pieces from some for sale signs I got at the BX for 50 cents... Used loctite and bondo gel to fit the pieces to the shells, and then reinforced everything with duct tape prior to glassing. As for shaping the shells, that took forever to figure out, but I connected the top and botom halves with a slight bend, then headed them so they'd bend easier. After that, I squeezed the shells until they were in the shape I needed, then... I put duct tape across the ends to hold the shape, then I photo'd them and glassed 'em. Still have to dremel the excess glass off and fix the detail back to how it should be, then I'll post more pics. I did find a much better way to do the barrels than what is shown.

Okay... gaunts are glassed and sanded! They look fairly decent... BUT, I accidently dremeled a lil too far into the gaunts and knocked a few small holes in 'em. I have some quick hardening epoxy putty I am thinking about using to fix these holes. Any tips? I also have another dilemma... when I finished sanding, I found that there are lots of small fissures and pits in the fiberglass that cannot be sanded out due to various issues with depth and such. Any tips on that? I'll get some pics up shortly... waiting on the camera to recharge. Once I've got these issues figured out, I can paint, attach hoses and I'll be good to go, minus the helmet, groin and soft parts.

Thanks vode, here's the really sad part... I'm only halfway - 75% finished, but I am already thinking of upgrades I can do to my kit, ways to improve it. Here's another idea of mine, actually did the shemagh in the right colors this time too. This is however, not the official version at the moment.

Okay, just a short update... I did glass/tape/paint my gaunts... but they don't look that good, so I think I'll be reworking them a lil bit. Waiting to hear back from A'den about a bucket or two. BTW, for ur awareness... We got our new assignment tonight, we'll be moving to Oklahoma by the end of the year, and I've been renamed... I'm now "Waco." That's about it for now.

No prob ner vod... I'm actually really bogged down in the hardware department right now. Softparts are at a standstill... gaunts are on hold 'til payday when I can work on 'em more. I think the ones I have will go to either Jayce or Fi. My antenna broke off of my shoulder plate so I'll have to do a lot of repair work there, may even rebuild both my shoulder plates. Still need a groin plate and weapons, big sale on some good nerf kit over at Toys'R'Us right now so may pick up a few pieces around pay day.

Okay, I have bad news vode... due to some financial issues that have arrisen, all work on our mandos that cannot be done with what I already have in my possession will be stopped. So here's a rundown of what I can... theoretically work on.

1. I can work on some of my softparts, i.e. vest, flightsuit...but that will have to wait until my buir (mother) comes back to visit so she can show me how to run this sewing machine she gave me.

2. I can continue to develop my armor plan, I have a few mods to sketch up for consideration, I'll be sure to share them with y'all to get some opinions.

3. I have my couple of Nerf guns to work with, still need a few others and parts but such purchases are on hold until further notice.

4. Gaunts... yeah... gaunts... umm...lol

5. Bucket, well... I have stuff to make it... don't have the expertise tho

so that's it in a nutshell... I'll update again when I have something else to report.

Okay... I need help... I'm working on my custom gun. Or at least trying to. I have found a lot of cool customized airsoft guns that I really like, based on the Echo1/AirsoftGI Zombat/ZombieKiller carbines. Also, I went into photoshop, hacked apart a few real steel guns to come up with a few concepts, and finally, added in my sketch for my original MVARS concept. Basically... pick the model u like and post the number... maybe with a few comments/ideas on how to build it up, make it mando'karla.

Okay, I dig most of them, because they're based on the M4 carbine, and I miss mine, but I'd have to go with number 1 because of the under barrel launcher. There's just something beautiful about a guy who carries not only an assault rifle, but also a grenade launcher.

If it were my build I'd probably snag an Airsoft M4 or M-16 type gun, and then just add a PVC tube painted black beneath the hand grip. Fashioning a slide so that you can "load rounds" like an actual M203 (M4 with a grenade launcher beneath the barrel). That's just me.

Man I miss that weapon. Load it up, aim, and THOOMP! Off she goes. *sigh* You've got me all nastolgic for the Army.

he he he... I'm AF, they don't let me have a 203 but I do get to play with my M4 from time to time! lol. Yeah, my concepts for the rifle were inspired by my issued carbine, btw... #2 has an underbarrel launcher to, it's got a Nerf Longshot frontend, the underbarrel functions as a "microdet launcher" lol. But... yeah I like the 40 mike mike because it allows a wide variety of rounds, and it will actually work during airsoft matches!